The invention pertains to plastic produce bags and related dispensers. More particularly, the invention relates to expandable plastic film bags having integral carrying handles and central mounting tabs and dispensers for stacks of such.
Various styles of produce bags and related dispensers are commonly.found in modern grocery stores and supermarkets. These bags are designed for customers to use when purchasing fresh produce. The bags currently available are difficult for customers to use for several reasons. First, the bags tend to cling together and are difficult to separate from the each other. Second, it is difficult to tell the open end of the bag from the closed end of the bag. Third, the bags are difficult to open, as the sides tend to cling together. When refilling a dispenser for produce bags mounted on rolls, the roll is optimally replaced when completely empty. However, this requires monitoring bag usage so as not to be replacing rolls when only partially used. A produce bag that identifies the proper end to open and provides features that allow the bag to be opened easily would save time and effort for produce purchasers.
Various methods and systems have been developed for opening plastic bags, incorporating a number of different technologies. U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,388 issued to Provan is directed to a holder for facilitating loading of plastic bags. The structure has a pair of spaced side members bent to provide a vertical rear portion as well as an arm portion. The structure also includes a forwardly protruding portion for insertion into the aperture of the stack of bags. In use, a bag is removed from the stack of bags and the handle loops and are placed on arm portion tabs, with the bottom of the bag resting on shelf When the bag is loaded, the handle loops are used to lift the bag and its contents from tabs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,059 issued to Requena, is directed to an apparatus for dispensing plastic bags. This Patent is provided in that the embodiment seen in FIG. 3 is in some way similar to the present invention in that it includes a support hook 25 and a vertical elongate tubular member 22.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,846 issued to Blyth et al., discloses a bag dispensing system for use with a stack of plastic bags that are normally referred to as T-shirt style bags. The rack includes a pair of opposed side support rods and cantilevered from frame, as well as a support finger that is used to support the bag pack.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,371 issued to Daniels, the present inventor, describes a method and apparatus for dispensing T-shirt style merchandise bags. A rack is provided that is used to hold and dispense individual bags from a roll.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,388, issued to Zerlin et al. is directed to a bag opening system that is used for a series of bags in a stack. A wire bag holder comprising a base along with wire beams and as well as U-shaped catch that is used for holding the stack of bags.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,841, issued to Piraneo et al discloses a bag dispensing system for suspending and dispensing plastic bags such as T-shirt bags and merchandise bags comprises a bag dispenser constructed to be mounted underneath counters of checkouts. The bag dispensing system comprises relatively short bag engaging hooks that are inserted through apertures formed in T-shirt bags. The apertures are positioned to enable downward removal of the T-shirt bags from the bag dispenser by applying a small downward force. The bag dispensing system further comprises removably detachable bag supporting members to simultaneously support different sized merchandise bags. Merchandise bag engaging hooks provided on the bag dispenser, and slits formed through the merchandise bag panels and gussets, assist in the opening of the bags during dispensing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,064, issued to Huang, et al. discloses a self-opening pack of plastic bags for use with a bagging rack. The pack of plastic bags is formed of plastic material that has been exposed to corona surface treatment. Each plastic bag in the pack of bags has a central tab portion between its two upwardly extending handles, which are at the sides of the mouth of the T-shirt bags. A central tab portion is located on the front and rear walls in the mouth region of the plastic bags. The central tab portion has a neck region and head region. The central tab portion has an aperture for receiving a retaining hook of a bagging rack, and a central tab slit which extends across the central tab portion, except for uncut portions near side edges of the central tab. The tearing cuts pass through the stack of bags and follow a non-straight path. Frangible pressure bonding is formed along the bottom edge of the central tab slit. When the top bag is removed from the bagging rack, the next bag in the pack of bags will self-open into a open position for loading with merchandise. Inverted xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d-shaped slits are formed in the handles for supporting the bag handles on the bagging rack.
While other variations exist, the above-described designs for dispensers for roll mounted bags are typical of those encountered in the prior art.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a produce bag and dispenser combination that can be refilled at any time without waste of bags. It is another objective to provide a produce bag that readily identifies the openable end to the user. It is a further objective of the invention to provide a produce bag and dispenser combination that prevents the user from grasping multiple bags when using the dispenser. Finally, it is an objective of the invention to provide a system that opens the bags as they are removed from the dispenser.
While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified. The present invention addresses many of the deficiencies of prior art roll mounted bags and dispensers and satisfies all of the objectives described above.
A bag and dispenser combination providing the desired features may be constructed from the following components. A plurality of plastic bags is provided. Each of the bags has a front and rear wall, first and second parallel linear side edges, a first predetermined width, front and rear top edges, an openable mouth, a sealed bottom edge, the front and rear walls have front and rear tabs. The tabs are located at the top edges and have an opening therethrough. The opening is sized, shaped and positioned to provide means for hanging the bag.
The dispenser includes the following components. An upward pointing hanging means is provided. The hanging means has upper and lower ends and is sized and shaped to fit slidably through the opening in the tabs. A positioning bar is provided. The positioning bar has first and second ends and is positioned horizontally at a first predetermined distance from the hanging means. Means for supporting the hanging means are provided, as are means for supporting the positioning bar. When the bags are suspended from the hanging means at the tabs and located over the positioning bar, the bags will be positioned for individual dispensing.
In a variant of the invention, the bags are T-shirt style bags. Each bag includes a front panel and a rear panel. The front panel has first and second parallel linear side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge. The rear panel also has first and second parallel linear side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge.
Two front gusset panels are provided. The front gusset panels are of a first predetermined dimension. Each front gusset panel has a top edge, a bottom edge, first and second parallel side edges, and is joined at the first side edge to one of the linear side edges of the front panel. The gusset panels extend from the top edge of the front panel to the bottom edge thereof.
Two rear gusset panels are provided. The rear gusset panels are of a first predetermined dimension. Each rear gusset panel has a top edge, a bottom edge, first and second parallel side edges, and is joined at the first side edge to one of the linear side edges of the front panel. The gusset panels extend from the top edge of the rear panel to the bottom edge thereof
Each front gusset panel is also joined to a respective one of the rear gusset panels at the second side edge. Each of the front and rear gusset panels is folded inwardly relative to the front and the rear panel. The top edges of the front panel, rear panel, front gusset panels and rear gusset panels terminate in an upper seam. The bottom edges of the front panel, rear panel, front gusset panels and rear gusset panels terminate in a lower seam. The lower seam is perpendicular to the linear side edges of the front and rear panels.
A U-shaped cut-out is provided. The U-shaped cut-out is located in an upper portion of the bag, and commences at a first point along the upper seam spaced inwardly from the first linear side edge. The cut-out extends to a second point along the upper seam spaced inwardly from the second linear side edge. The cut-out extends downwardly toward the lower seam forming an openable mouth and a pair of bag handles.
In a further variant, the tabs are attached to the openable bag mouth using a cut line, such that as the bag is pulled from the dispenser, the tabs will be torn from the mouth and remain on the hanging means.
In still a further variant, the tabs have a rupturable feature. The rupturable feature connects to the opening and extends toward a perimeter of the tab, whereby when the bag is pulled from the dispenser, the rupturable feature will provide a connection between the opening and the perimeter, permitting the bag to be removed from the hanging means without leaving a portion of the tab on the hanging means.
In yet another variant, the bags include means for removably attaching an upper portion of the rear wall of a first bag to an upper portion of the front wall of a second, adjacent registered bag, whereby when the first bag is pulled from the dispenser, the rear wall will pull the front wall of the second bag forward, causing the second bag to open.
In a farther variant, the means for removably attaching the upper portion of the rear wall of the first bag to the upper portion of the front wall of the second, adjacent registered bag, is selected from the group including glue spotting, corona treatment, hot pinning, cold staking and compression.
In another variant of the invention, the hanging means has an upward facing hook.
In yet another variant, the upward facing hook has a rounded feature at the upper end. The rounded feature is designed to prevent injury and unwanted tearing of the bag tabs.
In a further variant, the positioning bar has a length greater than the first predetermined width.
In still a further variant, the positioning bar has bag control features located at the first and second ends.
In an additional variant, the bag control features include upwardly angled projections. The projections are sized, shaped and positioned to prevent lateral movement of the bags.
In still another variant of the invention, the bag control features have rounded ends. The rounded ends are sized, shaped, and positioned to prevent lateral movement of the bags.
In a further variant, the means for supporting the hanging means also includes a vertically mounted pole. The hanging means project outwardly from the pole.
In still a further variant, the means for supporting the hanging means has a wall mounted bracket. The hanging means projects outwardly from the bracket.
In another variant of the invention, the means for supporting the positioning bar includes an upwardly pointing member. The positioning bar is located perpendicular to and outward from the member.
In yet another variant of the invention, the means for supporting the positioning bar also has a wall mounted bracket. The positioning bar is disposed parallel to and outward from the bracket.
In still another variant, the means for supporting the positioning bar also include a pair of extension brackets. The extension brackets extend from the first and second ends of the positioning bar to the upwardly pointing member. The extension brackets provide sufficient distance between the positioning bar and the upwardly pointing member to locate the positioning bar at the first predetermined distance from the hanging means.
In an additional variant, the extension brackets have means for opening at least one of the brackets to assist in positioning bags over the positioning bar.
In a final variant of the invention, a lower bag end guard is provided. The lower bag end guard has a first end, a second end and a first predetermined height. The lower bag end guard is located parallel to the positioning bar at a level sufficient to prevent access to the lower ends of the bags, whereby when the bags are suspended from the hanging means and located over the positioning bar with the lower ends behind the lower bag end guard, a bag user will not pull the bags from their lower ends and thus be prevented from obtaining more than one bag at a time.